Android Appstore Market Overview incl. alternate markets
At the Mobile Gaming USA West conference last month in San Francisco, Beau Ross, Director of Marketing at Medio - a mobile analytics company I really appreciate, made a statement about how improving your app´s icon design can lift the click-to-download conversion by up to 30%.
Listen to the short conversation, which is a piece of the panel discussion about UA for indie developers. Beau´s take is towards the end.
If you want to find out more on how to optimize your icon or screenshot design, feel free to check out
When ASO goes nuts
App Store Optimization (ASO) is a basic tactic whenever launching a new app or running a major update. I can help users to find your app easier in the appstore, increases the visibility and ranking position during search queries in the stores as well as on the web (SERP) and can boost your organic install rate up to 20%.
It should be applied properly and i.e. includes the optimization of your app´s title / name. The following example is not the way to go: stuffing the title with keywords like a turkey on Thanksgiving, making it look untrustworty and awkward, risking a rejection by Apple in worst case.
Some more examples by the same developer can be found here. No wonder, the app never saw some significant performance in countries other than Gambia and Swaziland.
You can and should do better: choose keywords which describe your app´s value and functionality, include a few keywords fitting to your app´s character, nature or brand and do not forget READABILITY.
You´ve seen some crazy looking or extremely long app titles? Feel free to comment or send your findings to stefan@stefanbielau.com
Ellie Powers (PM Google Play) just put together a neat little check list for all Android developers. She touches the issue of security while setting up your Google Play account, advises on how to configue the developer console UI language and of course highlights the importance updated of meta data. Good read!
Apple App Store - detail page now with age rating tags & Facebook likes
Apple recently added a subtle tweak to the detail page of an app´s presence in the app store. Users now get an early view on the age rating as well as on how many friends already have liked this app on Facebook.
Before, these informations were either visible by scrolling down (age rating) or users had to open the “review” page to see the Facebook likes. (the example of “Pocket Fahrschule Lite” shows the old view)
This change is in place for iPhone (see “ImmoScout24” as an example) as well as for iPad apps and clearly shows Apple´s approach to enhance app discovery and transparency in the appstore.
Awesome news for every Android developer:
Google just announced that all Google Play Developers can now reply to user reviews.
Before getting ready to engage with your users, remember to keep your communication in line with Google´s posting guideline.
Conference: App Promotion Summit 2013
The APS 2013 will take place on the 11th of July in London. App Store Optimization (ASO) will be among the various topics: Mobile Advertising and Media Buying, Cross Promotion and Exchanges, App Reviews, Press and PR & App Discovery Services.
I will be a speaker, and look forward to meet some of you in person at the event. You can register here.
The folks who organize App Promotion Summit also set up a little manifesto, which is quite nice to read.
